Residents in parts of Knysna in the Western Cape are facing an escalating water crisis as dam levels drop, infrastructure failures persist, and consumption remains well above target, Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor for Ward 10, Peter Bester, has warned.
Bester said that while most households currently still have water, several areas are already experiencing supply disruptions due to burst pipes and reservoirs running dry after pump failures.
“At the moment, the majority of people have water in their taps. However, there are some areas battling under burst pipes and reservoirs that have run dry because of pumps that have failed,” he said.
According to Bester, Akkerkloof Dam is sitting at just 18% capacity, which places the town under severe pressure.
“As of yesterday’s readings, there’s 18% of water in Akkerkloof Dam, so that gives us about two weeks’ worth of water,” he said.
The Western Cape provincial government has intervened to assist the municipality, with emergency measures now under way.
Bester confirmed that boreholes are being drilled in and around Knysna to increase access to alternative water sources.
However, he expressed concern that residents are not fully grasping the seriousness of the situation, with water usage remaining dangerously high. The town’s daily consumption target is below 8,000 kilolitres, yet current usage is sitting at approximately 12,000 kilolitres.
“I don’t think enough of the residents understand how bad it is because the consumption of water is still quite high. There are still people using more than they should be using,” Bester said.
Bester said he is sceptical that the crisis can be resolved quickly and has called on the municipality to improve its outreach efforts, particularly to vulnerable communities.
“I doubt this water crisis can be sorted in a fortnight. I have asked the municipality to ramp up their communications, especially to those residents that don’t have access to social media,” he said.
Meanwhile, Western Cape Minister for Local Government, Environmental Affairs, and Development Planning, Anton Bredell, has commended Knysna residents, businesses, and visitors for responding to urgent calls to reduce water use.
On Thursday, Bredell stated that the town had managed to significantly reduce consumption over the course of the week, dropping from approximately 12 megalitres per day earlier in the week to roughly 8 megalitres per day by Wednesday, as the municipality grapples with severe water security pressures.
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